Amnesty International, USA, August 21, 2017
No child should grow up behind bars. But thanks to you, the families' courageous lawyers, and activists on the ground four-year old Carlos* and 16-year old Michael* are finally free.
We met Carlos and Michael, along with their mothers, hours after their release from the immigration detention center in Berks County, Pennsylvania. They told us how excited they were to be free. Carlos’ mother Lorena, with tears of joy, couldn’t stop hugging us and thanking everyone for their support.
Their journey is almost unimaginable. They left home to escape conditions none of us would ever want to face – including death threats and severe gender-based violence. Counting on compassion, they hoped to find safety on U.S. soil. Instead, they were jailed at Berks for almost two years.
This month, your voice was heard. Now four Berks families have been freed. But the fight continues, including for these kids. As the Trump administration continues its attempts to jail families, we will be there to fight back and say “I welcome” to kids like Carlos and Michael – kids who deserve safety, freedom, and a better future.
